Burglar and fire alarm



Dec. 13, 1938. E. F TAYLOR BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM Filed Jan. 8, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W7 a d J N 6% QN -A r W N MN 9 L. m\ dw x QN\.\ II \NQ. 2 Q1 m m V VQQN NQN NQN QN v H H H MN 9w p wNN Dec. 13, 1938.

E. F TAYLOR BURGLAR AND FIRE ALARM 2 Sheets-Sheeh 2 Filed Jan. 8 1937 IHII gm illlllllllll Patented Dec- 13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,139,103 comma AND rum ALARM Edgcrton F. Taylor, New Haven, Conn, assignor to Jack 0. Lewis, New York, N. Y.

Application January 8, 1937, Serial No. 119,663

2 Claims. (01. 177-314) This invention is a burglar or fire alarm of the cam means which, in the order named, opens the type controlled or actuated by the interruption camera shutter, closes the circuit through the of a light ray, preferably an infra-red ray. flash bulb for setting it off, and then closes the An infra-red ray is preferable because it would camera shutter.

not be visible to the burglar. Such a ray would With the apparatus so far described, means 5 not only be interrupted by a burglar but would may also be provided for enabling a policeman also be interrupted to a greater or less degree or other authorized person to turn on the floodby smoke, and hence would serve as a fire alarm. light. To this end, a photoelectric cell is pro- One of the important features of the invenvided just inside the store window mounted in tion is'that means is provided for taking a pica suitable housing. A key-controlled door is 10 ture of the burglar in the act of committing provided for protecting the photocell so that an the burglary which would prove valuable in idenunauthorized person cannot actuate it. In this tifying him in case of his capture later. aspect of the invention the preferred arrange- Another important feature of the invention is ment is that the cell actuate the floodlight only that it is entirely independent of the usual combut, if desired, it could be arranged not only to L5 mercial lighting circuit. This is of considerable actuate the floodlight, but also to set the entire importance, because the alarm is still operative alarm apparatus in operation.

and the photograph will be taken, even if the In the accompanying drawings illustrating the burglar should have the foresight todisconnect invention in more detail: or break the commercial circuit before entering Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in per- 20 the building. spective, showing the wiring and mechanism of In this local circuit, therefore, there is prothe improved burglar and fire alarm of this invided a camera, shutter actuating means for the vention; camera and a flash bulb, all of which would be Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing an aroperated to take a picture of the burglar upon rangement for actuating the floodlight; 25 interruption of the light ray. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the housing for the Also in this local circuit there is an alarm photo-cell used in Fig. 2; and device. This could be a bell or siren; the same Fig. 4 is a front view of the housing of Fig. 3. circuit could be used for actuating a radio set Referring now to the drawings, the alarm sysfor sending out a radio signal either to the police tem comprises a casing 2 containing a local bat- 30 cars or to the police station, or both, or to send tery 4, 6 which is connected by a lead 8 to an a signal over wires to the police station. elect'romagnet or solenoid l0, through armature The described local circuit is provided with I2 and lead l4 back to the battery. A light ray its own battery, which provides current for the producing source is indicated at 6, and is conlight ray and for the local circuit for actuating nected by leads 11 to the battery, producing 35 the camera, the light bulb and the radio or preferably an infra-read or other ray l8 which other signals just described. actuates the photoelectric cell 20. This cell is While, therefore, the apparatus is operable inin circuit with a sensitive electromagnet 22 and dependently of the commercial circuit and will actuates the armature l2. When the light ray operate even if the commercial circuit is broken, is interrupted, magnet 22 causes armature H to 40 nevertheless, in one aspect of the invention, a close the circuit, thereby causing the magnet commercial lighting circuit is utilized, prefer- ID to attract its armature 24 which supplies ably for turning on one or more flood lights; the current through lead 26 to the wire 28. This lighting of the flood lights would evidently make sends a current to the mechanism for taking the burglar discontinue his efforts at robbery, a picture, which will now be described. 45 and would aid his capture. Another circuit is, 30 diagrammatically illustrates a motor which therefore, provided, actuated upon the interrupdrives a worm 32 which meshes with the intertion of the light ray, for turning on the flood rupted worm wheel 34 and drives the shaft 36. lights. There could also be provided in the same Shaft 36 is provided with a cam having risers circuit with the flood lights an alarm device 38 and 40 which are adapted to engage with a. so such as a bell or siren and, if desired, a radio lever 42 pivoted at 43. The other end of the set for sending out a signal to the police carslever 42 engages a rod or lever 44 icr actuating or to the police station. the shutter of a camera 46. r

The camera shutter actuating means prefer- Also positioned on shaft 36 is a cam 48 arably comprises a small motor which operates ranged to contact a circuit closing lever 50 piv- 55 otecl at 52. The lever 50 is in circuit with the battery 54 and a flash bulb 56. In place of battery 54, battery 4, 6 could be used. When the. motor operates, shaft 36 is rotated and riser 38 engages lever 42 and opens the shutter of the camera. As the shaft continues rotating, cam 08 actuates lever 50 and closes a circuit through the flash bulb and sets it off, thereby exposing the film or plate in the camera. As the motor continues to rotate, riser 40 of the cam engages lever 42 to close the shutter of the camera. After these operations have been completed, the interrupted portion of the worm wheel 34 reaches the worm 32 and although the motor may continue to rotate, the worm wheel 34 will not be rotated any further. The mechanism just described will therefore take a picture of the burglar.

Wire 28 is also connected to an alarm 38 such as a bell or siren. Wire 28 may also send a signal through wires 60 directly to the police station.

The apparatus can also be arranged to senda radio signal, either directly to the police station or to radio cars. To this end, a relay 82 is pro vided to be actuated by current from the wire 28, the closing of the relay actuating armature $4 to close the circuit from the local battery 86 through a time delay relay B8 and local stop switch i0 through a motor '12, wire 14 completing the return circuit from the motor. The motor operates a train of gears indicated generally at i8, the gears operating a signal transmitting device 18 which may conveniently be a waxed cylinder of the phonograph type having a stylus 80 and sound reproducing head 82 connected to the radio sending set 84. The sending set is connected to wires 86 through the time delay relay 68, the return to the battery being shown at 88.

When, therefore, wire 28 is energized, the camera and flash bulb will be operated to take a picture, bell 58 will be rung and a suitable signal sent out from the radio sending set. The return wires from the several instrumentalities just mentioned are connected through wires 90 and 92 back to the local battery 4, 6.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that the several signals just described are entirely independent of the commercial circuit.

The operation of a flood light from a commercial circuit will now be described.

Wire 28 is connected by wires 92 and 94 in shunt with the circuit closed by the armature 24 and when this latter circuit is closed, the electromagnet 96 is energized and armature 98 closes the circuit through contacts 99 and wires IN and I02 to a flood light I03. A local knife switch I04 is provided, connected by leads I to the usual 110 volt lighting circuit I06.

of a photoelectric cell. The photoelectric cell is preferably placed inside a store window, in a suitable casing, and is protected by a suitable cover, key-controlled, so that an authorized person, such as a policeman, can open the cover, actuate the photoelectric cell by means of a flashlight and cause the floodlight I08 to be lighted and the interior of the store to be illuminated.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a photoelectric cell I08 is in circuit with a magnet I09 and local battery IIIand controls a switch-closing armature I I2 which is arranged, when the magnet is energized, to close a circuit through the floodlight I03 by means of the leads H3, H4 and H5 connected to the line I08.

The photoelectric cell I08 is mounted in a suitable casing II 8 on the inside of a plate glass window I I1. On the outside of the window there is secured a. housing II8 having a door IIS having a key-controlled lock I20. An authorized person upon opening the door H9 could, by the use of a flashlight, actuate the photoelectric cell I08 to cause the circuit to be closed through the floodlight I 03. This would not actuate the alarm. As soon as the door II 9 is closed, the floodlight is switched ofi by the armature II2. If it is desired to have the photo-cell i 08 actuate the en tire alarm system, the photo-cell would be connected in a shunt circuit, to energize magnet I0,

instead of magnet I09, which would light the fioodlight and actuate the entire alarm, in the same way as if energized by interruption of the light ray I8.

While the present preferred embodiments of the invention have been described in some detail, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to such details, but may be carried out in other ways, as falling within the scope of the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A burglar and fire alarm, comprising in combination a local circuit, a switch for closing said local circuit, means, including a photo-electric cell and cooperating light ray interruptable by a burglar or by smoke, for actuating said switch for closing said local circuit, a camera, means controlled by said local circuit for operating the camera upon the closing of said local circuit, battery means for said local circuit, a flood light, switch means for connecting said flood light to a commercial power line, and means in said local circuit for closing the switch for the flood light when the camera is operated.

2. A burglar and fire alarm, comprising in combination a local circuit, a switch for closing said local circuit, means, including a photo-electric cell and cooperating light ray interruptable by a burglar or by smoke, for actuating said switch for closing said local circuit, a camera, means controlled by said local circuit for operating the camera upon the closing of said local circuit, an alarm device in said local circuit operable upon the closing thereof, battery means for said local circuit, a flood light, switch means for connecting said flood light to a commercial power line, and means in said local circuit for closing the switch for the flood light when the camera is operated.

EDGER'I'ON F. TAYLOR. 

